The Red Sox are already priming the pump for another spectacular implosion -- after the first game of the season, no less!
If you're Terry Francona, what do you do when your star player allegedly leaves the ballpark before the end of your first official game as manager of the Red Sox? In a 7-2 loss to the Orioles to boot?
The answer might come today. Attempts yesterday to reach Pedro Martinez were unsuccessful. His agent, Fernando Cuza, did not return calls.
Francona indicated he had a policy on players staying around for the whole game, but "in fairness to him [Martinez] and everybody else, that wasn't conveyed correctly on my part and I take responsibility for that."
Does something as basic as that have to be conveyed?
Obviously it does. Nice job, Petey. That's the ol' team spirit.
And look at Francona apologize... for himself.
"It's my responsibility to do that, yes," Francona said. "I don't think he was trying to do anything, well, it's not malicious, but that's more my responsibility to make sure it's conveyed."